In “The Big Picture: Contemporary Art in 10 Works by 10 Artists,” Matthew Israel, Artsy’s Curator at Large, examines 10 artworks that trace the development of contemporary art. Below are a series of excerpts from his book, out March 28th from Prestel.

Her portraits reflect on the notion of women's identity being contingent upon the belongings that surround them, with arrangements that call to mind religious head coverings - burqas, hijab, habits - that signal specific roles.